Spring cover



pril 6, 1937- G. w. CRABTREE 2,075,799

SPRING COVER Filed March 2, 1935 mhy- . Jnnentor (I ttorneg PatentedApr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in covers or casings for laminatedvehicle springs, and the primary object of the same is to provide a leafspring cover assembly of the jointed 5 section type which is practicaland efficient in service and which at the same time is relatively simplein construction and assemblage and capable of economical or low costmanufacture.

The present invention is concerned broadly with a spring cover assemblyof the type illustrated and described in my copending application SerialNo. 9,097, filed March 2, 1935 and deals particularly with an alternatetype of cap member for the jointed box sections and means for detachablylocking said member to said sections whereby the assembly is betteradapted for certain types of vehicle springs.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a substantially central longitudinal sectional view of aspring cover constructed in accordance with the present invention shownapplied to a vehicle spring;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the cover withthe cap member suspended thereabove; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view 0 the cover with the capmember in assembled position.

The assembly comprises a plurality of jointed body or box sectionsgenerally indicated at A, A A A A and a cap or cover section B. The bodysections are substantially identical in construction except the firstand last sections, which have their respective outer ends adapted to thespring contour at these points and to also snugly engage and retain aliner C in position in the cover. Considering for example, the sectionsA and A the one end of A telescopes partly into the adjacent end of Aand at the bottom of the cover, the ends are formed with interfittingarcuate bearing portions 5 and 6, note Figure 1.

This construction provides in effect a ball or rocking joint at thelower part of the sections. The arcuate bearing portions may be struckfrom 5 the center of the hinge at the top of the sections so as toprovide true coacting bearing surfaces.

The upper free edges of the sections are preferably flanged, as at I andla, and at the point where these flanges telescope into one another,

50 they are notched or recessed and the metal bent down against the sidewall of the inner section, to thereby provide a series of hinge joints 8in cooperative relation with the arcuate joints 5-6.

55 The cap member B is preferably of integral or one-piece constructionand is provided with side flanges 9 and 9a which are turned down tosnugly engage over the side walls of the body sections. At spaced pointsalong the length of the cover and preferably at approximately inlinewith the central portion of each box or body section, the cap member Bis provided with lugs 16 each having a slot H therethrough; and theopposed side walls of each section have looking ears or tabs l2 punchedoutwardly therefrom and adapted to engage in the slots II. It will benoted that when the cap B is locked in position on the box sections, thelugs I9 cover the openings resulting from formation of the tongues ortabs 12.

The cap member B is preferably provided with a series of notches orcut-out portions I3, I3 and l3w, l3a' in the region of the jointsbetween the sections, to permit free flexing of the cap without becomingdisplaced or strained, a stiffening tab or lug it being provided betweenthe two pairs of opposed cut-out portions. I

Formed transversely between each pair of lugs I4 is a reinforcing rib l5, which ribs prevent longitudinal buckling of the cap and ensureagainst breakage across the cap at the hinge points.

The body sections A may first be assembled in the form of fiat blanksand locked in assembled relation by striking the hinges 8 at the timethe cover assembly is pressed into final form. The assembly is thenready to be applied to a spring, which latter process will be obvious,it only being necessary to first apply the liner C with a coating oflubricant, then the box section A and finally the cap member 28, the

flanges 9, 9a being spread until the ears I2 register with the slots Ii,whereupon the said ears pass through the slots and may be bent over tolock the capin position on the sections. cap may be easily removed bybending back the ears I2 and lifting lugs I9 up over said ears, and thebody sections will thereupon be free for removal in the event of repairsto the spring or for other purposes.

It will be noted that with this type of cover assembly there are nolaterally projecting parts, such as snap-on beads or the like, and thecap is securely clenched in assembled position, thereby eliminating anypossibility of displacement in handling or piling a number of coveredsprings together and in service.

It will be understood that minor changes in construction and mode offabricating and assembling may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

The

I claim:

1. A cover for leaf springs comprising a plurality of substantiallyU-shaped body sections adapted to be inserted over three sides of aspring, said sections being arranged in partly telescoped relation andconnected to one another to provide a series of hinge joints, and a capfor said sections; said cap being formed with side flanges havingslotted lugs at spaced points along the cap, locking ears punched fromthe side walls of the sections and adapted to engage in said slotswhereby the cap may be detachably locked to the sections, the capbetween said lugs and adjacent the joints of the sections having theflanges thereof cut away to facilitate flexing of the cap.

2. A spring cover for leaf springs comprising a series of substantiallyU-shaped body sections proportioned to cover three sides of a laminatedspring, said sections being overlapped throughout a portion of theirlength and pivotally connected to each other in said overlapped portiontoprovide a series of hinge joints permitting the sections to flex withrespect to each other in response to spring movement, a one-piece capfor said sections formed with side flanges having slots therethrough atspaced points along the length of the cap, and locking ears carried byand projecting laterally from the side walls of said body sectionsadapted to engage in said slots for locking the cap to the bodysections, said side flanges being cut away in the region of said hingejoints to facilitate flexing of the cap section.

3. A cover for leaf springs comprising a plurality of substantiallyU-shaped body sections adapted to be inserted over three sides of thespring, said sections being arranged in partly overlapped relation andpivotally connected to each other adjacent the free edges thereof insaid overlapped portion to provide a series of hinge joints between thesections, a cap for said sections formed with side flanges andproportioned to have said side flanges embrace the i5 outer side wallsof the body sections, said side flanges having a plurality of slotsformed therein at spaced points with respect to the hinge joint betweenthe body sections and locking ears arranged to project laterally fromsaid side walls and engage in said slots, said flanges being cut away inthe region of the hinge joints in the body section whereby the cap maybe detachably locked to the body sections and flex therewith.

4. In a cover for leaf springs, a plurality of U-shaped sheet metal boxsections having their contiguous ends arranged in telescopedrelation andsecured to one another to provide a series of hinge joints, the sidewalls of said sections at intermediate points with respect to saidjoints having the metal thereof punched outwardly in the form of lockingears, and a cap for said sections of one-piece formation, said cap beingformed with depending side flanges adapted to embrace the side walls ofthe body section, said flanges having spaced slots therein adapted toregister with said ears and being cut away intermediate said slots inthe region of said hinge joints to permit the cap to flex as said bodysections turn on said hinge joints.

5; In a cover for leaf springs, a plurality of sheet metal U-shapedsections arranged end to end and having their abutting ends pivoted toeach other, the side walls of said sections adjacent the upper freeedgesthereofhaving the metal thereof punched outwardly to provide a roundedlocking tab extending in a vertical plane normal to said sections, aone-piece cap for said sections provided with resilient side flangesarranged tooverlap the upper edges of the side walls of said sections,said flanges provided with vertically extending slots proportioned toreceive said locking tab and adapted to be resiliently forced over therounded edges of said tab when moved into assembled position with saidsections, said flanges cut away intermediate said slots in the region ofthe pivotal joints between the sections whereby the cap may flex abovesaid pivotal connection in response to spring flexure.

GEORGE W. CRABTREE.

